WHITTIER, Calif. (Feb. 4, 2023) -  Whittier College men's lacrosse fell in its season opener to Concordia Irvine by a final score of 13–9 on Saturday, Feb. 4 on Newman Field at Memorial Stadium. 

The Poets started the game on a 2–0 run against the Golden Eagles, with both goals scored by senior attacker Alex Coco. The first goal came with 14:41 remaining in the first quarter and was assisted by first-year midfielder Matt Eitzen with the second coming at 13:15 on an assist by sophomore midfielder Colin Warme. 

After the Golden Eagles tied it up with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter, the Poets reclaimed the lead after senior Connor Hoemann took a beautiful shot on goal to give the Poets the lead back. 

The Poets would score two more goals before the end of the first half. Following an assist from sophomore attacker Owen Wallace, sophomore Kalwin Iha found the net to push the lead up to 5–4 Poets. 

With 6:27 remaining, Coco repaid Warme with his assist earlier in the game with one of his own, allowing Warme to earn his first goal on the season and pushing the lead to 6–4.  

The Golden Eagles would score once more before the half, entering the intermission down one. 

The second half belonged to the Golden Eagles, holding the Poets scoreless for the entirety of the third quarter. By the time the fourth quarter came around, the Golden Eagles were up 10–6, after a five-goal run. 

The Poets scored three goals in the fourth quarter, all coming with under 10 minutes to play in regulation. Two came from Coco, with the third coming from Warme. 

Coco led the way with four goals in the contest, followed by Warme, who earned three on the day. Coco also led the day with two assists in the final box score. 

The Poets will have a long layoff before they return to action on Feb. 24 in an away contest against Randolph-Macon in Ashland, Va. 

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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